The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-03-30
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS
How farThcy are PrnHtnblct to Farmers.
GOOD ArIiClrn on IN immnrlnnt S,Ii..

IL Is lultc common TO hear cOmplaint,
oil the worthlcssnCsS OF Il large propor.
ton OF the COMMERCIAL fertilizers sold tc
farmers. That some of these complaints
arc well founded there is little douht.
lnat many more arc unreasonable and
unjust is quite probable. Many farmers
insist that the fertilizers of late wears mr.,
not SO good as those of ten or lively,
years or more back. Let us look into
the matter n little.
The average farmer mdpes Of Tho
merits or quality O. Il fertilizer bv thr
effects of the same on tho crop to Which
it was applied. Indeed, this is the only
way he can safely determine whether n
fertilizer has returned Il fair pcrcentooc
on the investment. But how often is il
true that the crop grows oil nicely and
everything appears to promise IL good
yield, and ut last some casualty of
drought, or wet or frost, cuts OF the
crop. During the early, and probably
the middle stages Of growth, the farmer
Is pleased with the fertilizer; but when
he gathers his crop and the guano man
wants his pay, and the bacon and flour
and dry goods bills, the doctors bill.
etc, must be mct-thG cotton won't 90
round. The dry weather, or the worms.
or the storm IN Scptcmbcr,' or some
one or moro OF the many casualties to
which cotton is Liable, has Cut of the
crop. May be the fertilizer was to
blame. But the fertilizer did not cause
the storm, nor the drought, nor the
worms; neither could it prevent these
casualties.
On the other hand, il the plant starts
on wen and the seasons and other con
dltlonS continue suspicious to the end OF
he harvest, and the farmer gathers II
large crop, he Is apt to be pleased with
he fertilizer he used, rs well ns cycry-
thing that was connected with the CROP.
One very important ]prucauti0u is over
looked by 4 largo majority OF farmers
who use commCrciG icItlLiHcys. VIZ: tic
test Of the scales. IT. is unreasonable 70
insist that II fertilizer has "Ioua the CROP
nc good" when no test or experiment
rows have been set apart, the ,crtilizcr
carefully weighed and distributed, and
the yield OF the crop gathered and
weighed under the very eye Of the pro
prictor. With such Il test plat, OF s1v-
cral of them, accurately conducted, it Is
possible to easily and certainly dctcrm-
inc what has been the economic result.
On different soils and with different sea-
sons and other conditions, the results
will BE- discordunt or different. even
when the identical fertilizer .us boon
used. One of the most j~insyi.ant con.
ditions-or rather acknowledgements Tint
affects the question OF profit when the
money has been paid, or is to be paid
for the fertilizer, IS the price o. cotton.
But If to be paid for in cotton il does not
affect the question ut all.
Now, what is Il fair profit ON the in
vestment in Il fertilizer? \ tanner ought
to be well content to realize s or 10 Der
cent. per annum profit on ali the fixed
and working capital employed in his
business after allowing Il reasonable sum
for his services and Tor wear and tear,
Insurance, etc. He would gladly r,nt
out his land. or Il portion OF il. ON s,ich
terms, and devote his personal ttt,ut.uu
to something else. Then WHY Should
he expect any greater pur cont. profit.
''onc wear with another, - on his invest.
ment in n fertilizer?
One ton of standal 4 icltili.crs, hauled
and distributed in inc sod, costs, say
thirty Ce3O) dollars cash. HE money is
paid snN April lst-nnd the crop is
haryes. Ell and ready for mnrkct-Say
October lst-siX months. Suppose the
increased yield of cotton, after dcducting
the extra expenses of packing and
ginning, and adding the value OF the
extra seed, is thirty live dollars, or five
dollars clear profit. Five dollars net in
crease in the value OF the crop due to
use of n ton of fertilizer would not be
considered unusual; it is probably much
below the average results. but five dol
lars on thirty dollars, for six months, is
To- per cent, or 33 per cont. per
annum! Or suppose $50 pounds of lint
cotton is the price agreed upon for the
fertilizer, payable November LIST, and
that the increased yield is 20 pounds.
We now have % pounds OF hat cotton
more than enough to pay for the fer
%tilizer.
No reasonable man will be likely to
deny the fairness of the above figures.
The per cent. increase credited to the
fertilizer is probably less than the aver
age results OF the use of commercial for
t~ilizers i'll general good, bad and in.
different-ior Il series of years together,